New Hazlett Theater Unveils 20th Anniversary Season

Celebrating two decades of performing arts innovation, the New Hazlett Theater has announced its expanded 20th-anniversary season. The upcoming programming is anchored by the Pittsburgh preview of It's Just a Smatter of Time-an interdisciplinary collaboration by Ephrat Asherie Dance, author Mo Willems, and Third Coast Percussion, marking the inaugural project of the Theater's new ForgeWorks pipeline. The anniversary lineup also launches the 14th Community Supported Art (CSA) season, alongside a historic mainstage co-production and festive holiday jazz.

"Entering our twentieth year isn't just a milestone to celebrate-it's the foundation for our next chapter of growth," says Melissa Cardello-Linton, New Hazlett Theater's Artistic Director. "With the launch of our ForgeWorks pipeline, we are expanding our capacity to nurture new art from the ground up. Whether we are bringing an innovative collaboration like It's Just a Smatter of Time to Pittsburgh before it hits New York, staging our first-ever co-production with Othello of the End Zone, or The Steel City Tragedy, or uplifting our incredibly talented local CSA artists, this season is a direct reflection of our passion for creating a space where visionary artists can take risks and thrive."

Serving as the cornerstone of the ForgeWorks pipeline, It's Just a Smatter of Time (December 3-4, 2026), a work-in-progress preview, explores how time moves forward and backward. The cross-generational collaboration uses live percussion, visual storytelling, projected imagery, and interactive audience participation to transform internal emotional landscapes into a tangible environment. Ephrat Asherie Dance collaborator and New Hazlett Board Member Teena Marie Custer made this exclusive preview possible in Pittsburgh before its New York City premiere, returning to the theater a decade after the debut of her solo production, My Good Side.

"I am really excited to be one of the first companies to be a part of this pipeline, which means you're going to see the work in Pittsburgh first before it premieres elsewhere in the country. I have to credit Melissa Cardello-Linton with coming up with this amazing idea to support work that could be made in New York or Chicago-but why not make it here? For myself and other artists who choose to live in Pittsburgh instead of New York, we don't want to have to leave to find work. I would love to just make art in this beautiful theater and let the world see it." Custer states.

Also taking the main stage this fall is Othello of the End Zone, or The Steel City Tragedy (October 22-25, 2026). Directed by Shaunda Miles McDill, this reimagined adaptation of the classic Shakespeare work follows a Black woman at the height of her power, navigating the treacherous world of sports. The project marks a historic milestone as the first co-production between DEMASKUS Theater Collective and the New Hazlett Theater.

Continuing the season's momentum, the Theater will present Sounds of the Season (December 12, 2026), produced and directed by Melissa Cardello-Linton. The evening offers festive music infused with the warmth and improvisational spirit of jazz, featuring performances by Lead Artist and Producer Kendra Janelle Ross, Lead Artist and Musical Director Craig Davis, Brendan Williams, Domonique Briggs, Hugo Cruz, and other special guests.

A central pillar of the theater's legacy, the Community Supported Art (CSA) series returns for its 14th season, bringing unspoken, deeply human realities to light. The mainstage CSA lineup includes:

• Cosmic Microwave Background by Julia Fraser (November 19-20, 2026): A full-length play where a translator of Italian poetry leaves New York for serenity in the desert, only to be propelled on a quest by a mysterious sound lacing through the landscape.
• GIRLS by Maya Anabella (March 4-5, 2027): A raw series of confessions told from the perspectives of five young women, tackling the most visceral truths of girlhood.
• The Women Who Lit the Way by Omari Abdul-Alim (April 15-16, 2027): An interdisciplinary fusion where six Beckom Freeman alumni unite with students of the Guardians of Sound Hip Hop Orchestra to carry forward the legacy of mentors O'Labrice Beckom and Henrietta Freeman.

Expanding this vision is the Off the Page reading series, a three-part initiative designed to shine a light on powerful voices just beyond the mainstage by showcasing scripts, stories, and bold creativity from runner-up CSA artists:

• And A Buoy by Eli Plummer (November 30, 2026): A staged reading navigating the deep waters of growing up.
• Divas You Don't Know by Milia Ayache (January 11, 2027): A one-woman cabaret charting diva stars by compass. Eyeliner optional.
• The Perfect American Man by Ben Kramer (April 12, 2027): A musical reading mosaic weaving queer love and loss.

As the New Hazlett Theater enters its 20th year, the continued expansion of the Community Supported Art series and Off the Page readings reflects the institution's broader programming growth. By providing the resources to bring these bold, unspoken realities to life alongside new developmental pipelines and historic co-productions, the theater reinforces its longstanding commitment to cultivating Pittsburgh's next generation of creators. This expanded approach ensures that diverse, locally grown voices remain a cornerstone of the institution's next two decades.